2017 MASTERS: Four-way tie at Augusta as Scott gets himself back into contention

Four golfers yet to win a major top the leaderboard at the 2017 Masters; Sergio Garcia, Thomas Pieters, Charley Hoffman and Rickie Fowler.

After a blistering opening round in tough conditions, American Charley Hoffman was always going to find it difficult to hold his composure and maintain a lead. With just two bogeys on his card in the opening round, Hoffman carded five more in six holes around the turn at Augusta to find himself still in the lead going into the weekend, but this time there are three other guys alongside him.

Ever the bridesmaid at the majors, Sergio Garcia is in some of the best form of his career and is one of those players to get himself in a tie for the lead at 4-under thanks to a superb 3-under par 69 that got off to a great start thanks to three opening birdies.

Belgium’s Thomas Pieters had one of the rounds of the day to also get to four-under par but the round of the day belonged to American Rickie Fowler who posted an effortless 5-under par 67 to make up a major-less bunch of four players to lead the 2017 Masters through two rounds.

On the Australian front, things got worse, and then better with Adam Scott still very much in the hunt for a second green jacket by the end of the round.

Marc Leishman couldn’t buy a birdie to build on a solid opening round and finds himself seven shots behind the leaders at 3-over par.

Adam Scott looked much more comfortable in the (slightly) calmer conditions on Friday and his golf game looks ready for a strong weekend. Scott carded seven birdies in his second round, but a bunch of bogeys, including a double-bogey at the par-4 11th just as the 2013 Masters champion had got his score back into the red. A closing score of 3-under par has Scott at even par along side Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth. Three former champions lurking just four behind the leaders.

Jason Day also made double-bogey at the difficult par-4 11th. Day found the water on the left of the green for the second day and is four-over the card on this hole alone through two rounds. Day has managed to scrape inside the cut line at 6-over the card.

Rod Pampling didn’t make the cut in his first shot at The Masters in 10 years but on début, amateur Curtis Luck also made the cut line. A solid even par round also has him at 6-over par and feeling a lot happier about his tournament that Day.

Other notables to miss the cut include 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett who opened the round with a quadruple bogey, Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson and two-time green jacket winner Bubba Watson who didn’t help himself any further with the media as he left the course, remarking “Golf is tough; I don’t know if you’ve ever played it. But writing articles is easy.”

Luck has been posting a daily diary of his first Masters Tournament (and last golf tournament as an amateur) and here he talks about his Friday at The Masters.